My Approach to Therapy

My background as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is very diverse with extensive experience in the USA, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. I have worked in private settings, teen residential settings and military clinical settings serving diverse cultural populations.

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I specialize in EFT (emotional focused therapy) & ABFT (attachment based family therapy) an interpersonal, process-oriented, and emotionally-focused approach that works to develop or rebuild an emotionally secure individual, couple or family system. Attachment views human beings as innately relational, social and wired for intimate bonding with others.

I"m originally from Boston, Massachusetts, USA but headed south for a warmer climate where  I achieved my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from North Carolina State University, USA, graduating with honors.

I then went further south to obtain my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at NOVA Southeastern University in Florida, USA. It is AAMFT & COAMFTE accredited - the most stringent standard in the USA for Marriage and Family Therapy Programs.
 
After my graduate program I was proudly accepted to be part of a clinical research team at the Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse at the University of Miami in Florida, USA under the supervision of Howard Liddle Ph.D the creator of the model  Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). I was part of a group of therapist assigned to execute and provide therapy trials to teens a families testing the efficacy of MDFT which is now a well known reputable treatment model.
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Later, I returned to the north where I lived in New York City and I enjoyed a successful career in non-profit program operations management and clinical supervision for outpatient counseling programs.
 
In 2007, I was offered the opportunity to work for the Department of Defense to provide outpatient therapy services to individuals, couples, and families on US military installations in Germany and Japan. While in Germany, I become a lactation counselor providing breastfeeding consultation, bonding, and attachment education for American Nationals in Stuttgart.
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Most recently, I became trained in Emotional-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), two evidence-based models of treatment. These models are an interpersonal, process-oriented approach that supports clients in developing or rebuilding an emotionally secure individual, couple, or family system.
 
During my training for ABFT, I had direct supervision from Guy Diamond PhD (the primary developer of ABFT) and co-developer Suzzane Levy PhD leading me to develop my private practice focusing specifically on ABFT and EFT. To enhance my skills in EFT I attend Dr. Sue Johnson's (creator of EFT for couples) trainings when available. 
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Since 2007, I've been licensed as a Marriage & Family Therapist, and have since deeply enjoyed providing mental health services from my private practice.